Container



Jan. 23, 1945. R J GREEB-ILEAF, 2 2,367,675

CONTAINER Filed June 2'7, 1941 INVENTOR fic h'ar James 6'! v W ATTORNEYPatented Jan. 23, 1945 CONTAINER Richard James Greenleaf, II, Ipswich,Mass, assignor of one-half to Victor H. Barwood. Brookline, Mass.

Application June 27, 1941, Serial No. 400,017

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly tocontainers for sandwiches and the like.

When the dispenser sells sandwiches made from round bread rolls, likeegg and hamburger sandwiches, he is frequently troubled by the fact thatthe egg, the meat or other juices drip from below the sandwich, withconsequent possible damage to the customers clothes. This difficulty maybe overcome by dispensing the sandwich in a container provided with abottom wall for collecting the drippings. Containers, however, have notonly bottom walls, but side and end walls, as well. When the sandwich isretained in the container during eating, the side walls, if high enough,are in the way, so as to prevent further biting into the sandwich whenless than half consumed; and if the side walls are low, they do o afforda sufiicient grip for holding the sand- 1. It has accordingly beenproposed to profurther biting area by recessing the side a of thecontainer. This proposal has here- -e been made, however, in connectionwith liners having pointed, or unstable, bottom ails, adapted moreparticularly for sandwiches with square corners. For round sandwiches,of course, containers of this kind arenot practicable because, when theyare set down, the drippings leak out of the container by way of the endor side walls. The dispenser is thus compelled to hold the container,with the sandwich therein, in his hand until he actually delivers it tothe customer; and the latter similarly dares not place it, eventemporarily, on a counter or a table, but must keep it in his hand untilthe sandwich has been consumed, or until the container and its remainingcontents are ready to be thrown into a waste-receptacle.

An object of this invention, accordingly, is to provide a containerthat, though having more general utility, is adapted particularly for around-roll sandwich,

With the end in view of facilitating packaging and stacking, and tooccupy a minimum of space during storage and shipping, a further objectof the invention is to provide a container of the above-describedcharacter that may be made from a novel fiat or knocked-down blank.

Unless the container is readily assembled from its blank, of course, itcan not be commercially A further object is to make a container and ablank therefor that shall be cheap to manufacfacture and highlyefficient.

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter, and will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan of a novelblank out ofwhich the novel container may be formed; and Fig. 2 is a perspective ofthe container made from the blank of Fig. 1.

Th novel container of the present invention,- as well as the blank outof'which it may be formed is generally designated at 2. The blank may beconstituted of thick paper, out along the full lines, and scored alongthe dotted lines, of Fig. 1. The container is shown provided with a flatclosed bottom wall 82 that serves as a stable base upon which thecontainer is adapted to rest stably. This bottom wall is constituted ofa centrally disposed substantially rectangular bottom-' wall portion 82of the blank. The long sides of the rectangle are foldably provided withsidewall-portions 4 and 8, respectively the former being foldablydisposed along the scored line 6 and the latter along the scored lineI0. The container is thus provided also with closed side walls 4 and 8,as well as end walls 80 and 84 connecting the side walls. The oppositelydisposed side walls 4 and 8 are separated from the bottom-wall portionby scored lines 6 and II], respectively, and the oppositely disposed endwalls 80 and 82 by scored lines and 30, respectively. The endwallportions 80 and 84 are foldably disposed along the scored end lines 20and and the side-wall portions along the scored end lines 6 and ll} ofthe bottom-wall portion 82. At the top, the container is open. Thecontainer is of rectangular cross-section in planes parallel to til thebottom wall 82, but the open top is relatively long compared to therelatively short bottom. In

longitudinal cross-section, the container has the.

shape of a trapezoid, with the lower shorter base" of the trapezoidclosed and the upper longer base open. Along the sides of the trapezoid,the con-f tainer is provided with somewhat trapezoidal,

end walls that slope between the ends 20 and 30 of the closed bottomwall 82 and the ends 58 and 64 of the open top.

At the top open end of the container, the sides 4 and 8 are each shapedinto circular or other arcuate form to provide the sides of thecontained, at the top, with oppositely disposed recesses. The circulararcs 10 and 16 of the respec round roll -may be placed, so as to permitthe upper portion of the sandwich to project above the.

open top thereof. The sandwich drippings will be collected in the bottomof the container. The

purchaser may thus consume the sandwich from.

the top, without danger of the drippings getting on to his clothes.Hemay bite into parts of theof the container, may be pushed upward withthe fingers from below, thus causing the sandwich to rise up in thecontainer to permit further consumption thereof.

Because round-roll sandwiches. are. not usually of uniform thickness,but have more body in the center than along the periphery, the openupper end of the container is rendered somewhat wider than the bottom.To thi end, the upper edges 58 and 640i the end walls 80 and 84,respectively, are made wider than theirrespective lower edges 20. and atthescored lines of junction with. the bottomwall 82. The rectangle atthe open top of the container is thus wider than that at the closedbottom. wall. This construction serves a further purpose in thatitenables stacking, the container each. inside its lower neighbor afterthey have become folded from their blanks.

.A flap I2 is separated from the end-wall portion 80 by a scoredline l4:along which it is fold-- able. Oppositely disposed to this flap I2 is aflap l6 i'oldably disposed with respect to the end-wall portion 80'along a scored wall It. Similar oppositely disposed. flaps 22. and 2Baresimilarly foldably disposed along scored edges 24 and 28,respectively, of the end wall 84.

The outer edge 68 of the. flap- I2 is separated from the edge 58 of theend-wall portion 80, by an. edge 56 and tapers outward therefrom. Theflap I6 is similarly provided. with. a. similarly tapering outer edge l4separated from the edge 58 by a similar. edge 60. The flap 22 issimilarly providedwith a similarly tapering edge 12, separated from theedge 84 of the end-wall portion 84 by an. edge82, and theflap26islikewiseprovided with an edge 18- tapering outwardly from the edge 64-of the end wall 84, but separated therefrom by an. edge 66.

The flap l2 terminates, at its end opposite to the edges 55, 58, in atongue that is separated from the body of the flap 12 by a slit 4!]. Theflap l6 similarly terminates, at its end opposite to the edges 60 and58, in a tongue that. is separated from the body of the flap l8 by aslit 44. The flaps 22 and 26 arev similarly provided withterminating'tongues, respectively separated from the bodies of therespective flaps by a slit 48 and a. slit 52,.

The outer curved. margin 10 of. the side wall portion 4 is provided withtwoslits, 4'2. and 50 for respectively receiving. the respective tonguesof; the flaps l2 and 22, as illustrated in Fig. 2, when. the blankisfolded. into the form of a container. The outer curved margin 18 of theside-wall portion 8 is similarly provided with slits 46 and 54 forrespectively receiving the tongues of the flaps l 6 and 26,respectively. The tongues and the slits in which they are receivedcooperate to hold the blank, when folded, in the form of a container.

The end-wall portions 80 and 84- constitute the The outer edges 14 and18 of the flap l6 and 26 and the outer edge 16 of the side-wall 1:0-tion8 similarly constitute the outer boundary of the side 8 of thecontainer.

The outer edges 10 and 16 of the side-wall portions 4 and 8 tapercorrespondingly to the tapering edges of the flaps I2, 22 and I6 and 26,respectively. These taper from the center outward, so as to merge intothe tapers of the respective flaps, thus to constitute, with thetapering edges and the tongues of therespective flaps, the oppositelydisposed recesses in the sides of the container before mentioned. Byreason of this construction, these arcuate recesses are caused to tapercontinuously from near the edges 58 and 84 of the end walls and 84,-respectively, toward the bottom wall 82. The. edges 58, 60, 62and168,however, are

' shown substantially parallel to the bottom wall 82.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such areconsidered to fall within the spirit. and scope of the invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1.. A sandwich. container having substantially the shape, inlongitudinal cross-section, of an equilateral trapezoid, the containerbeing closed by a fiat bottom wall along the shorter base of thetrapezoid upon which the container is adapted to rest stably, thecontainer being open along the longer base of the trapezoid, the.container having fiat trapezoidal outwardly flaring end walls along thesides'of the trapezoid sloping between the ends of the bottom wall andthe top, the end walls being. wider at the top than at the bottom, thecontainer having flat side walls of substantially the same length as thelength of the bottom wall. connecting the end walls, the side wallsbeing provided at the top of the. container with oppositely disposedrecesses curving from near both end walls towards the bottom wall of thecontainer, the, container being of substantially rectangularcross-section in planes parallel to the bottom wall, and the rectangleat the,

open top being wider than the rectangle at the closed bottom, a sandwichbeing adapted to be confined. in the. container by'the bottom, the endwalls and the unrecessed portions of the side walls, the drippings fromthe sandwich being adapted to be collected in the bottom of thecontainer between the lower portions of the end walls and the lowerunrecessed portions of the sidewalls, andthe unrecessed portions of theside walls providing an area for gripping the container with thesandwich therein.

2.. A. foldable-container blank comprising a centrally disposed. flatbottom-wall portion having oppositely disposed ends and oppositelydisposed sides, flat end-wall portions foldably disposed along the endsand each having oppositely disposed foldable flaps, flat side-wallportions of substantially the same length as said bottom wall foldablydisposed along the sides and each provided with means for cooperatingwith the flaps'to holdthe blank, when folded, in the form ofa containerhaving outwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-wall portion constitutingthe flat bottom wall of the. container, the end-wall portionsconstituting oppositely disposed flat end walls of the container,theside-wall portions and the flaps constituting oppositely disposedflatsides of the container, theouter edges of the end-wall portionsconstituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of the container, theouter edges of the side-wall portions and of the flaps constituting theouter boundaries of the sidesof the container,

the outer edges of the flaps tapering outwardly from near the outeredges of the end-wall portions and said flaps cooperating with said flatside-wall portions to form oppositely disposed recesses tapering fromnear both end walls toward the bottom wall.

3. A foldable-container blank comprising a centrally disposed fiatbottom-wall portion having oppositely disposed ends and oppositelydisposed sides, fiat end-wall portions foldably dis posed along the endsand each having oppositely disposed foldable flaps, flat side-wallportions of substantially the same length as said bottom wall foldablydisposed along the sides and each pro vided With means for cooperatingwith the flaps to hold the blank, when folded, in the form of acontainer having outwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-Wall portionconstituting the fiat bottom wall of the container, the end-wallportions con"- stituting oppositely disposed fiat end walls of thecontainer, the side-wall portions and the flaps constituting oppositelydisposed sides of the conftainer, the outer edges of the end-wallportions constituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of thecontainer, the outer edges of the side-wall portions and of the flapsconstituting the outer boundaries of the sides of the container, theouter; edges of the flaps tapering outwardly from near the outer edgesof the end wall portions and the outer edges of the side-Wall portionstapering cor respondingly from the center outward to merge with thetapers of the flaps to provide the side walls at the top of thecontainer with oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both endwalls toward the bottom wall.

4. A foldable-container blank comprising a c entrally disposed fiatbottom-Wall portion having oppositely disposed ends and oppositelydisposed sides, flat end-wall portions foldably disposed along the endsand each having oppositely dis-- posed foldable flap membersconstituting a first group of members, flat side-wall-portion members ofsubstantially the same length as said bottom wall foldably disposedalong the sides and constituting a second group of members, one of thegroups of members each having a tongue and the other group of memberseach having a tongue-receiving member for receiving one of the tonguesto hold the blank, When folded, in the form of a container havingoutwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-Wall portion constituting thefiat bottom wall of the container, the end-wall portions constitutingoppositely disposed fiat end walls of the container, the side-wallportionsand the flaps constituting oppositely disposed flat sides of thecontainer, the outer edges of the end-wall portions constituting theouter boundaries of the end walls of the container, the outer edges ofthe side-Wall portions and of the flaps constituting the outerboundaries of the sides of the container, the outer edges of the flapstapering outwardly from near the outer edges of the end-wall portionsand said flaps cooperating with said fiat side-Wall portions to formoppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both end walls towardthe bottom Wall.

5. A foldable-container thick-paper blank cut and scored to provide acentrally disposed fiat substantially rectangular bottom-wall portion,flat end-wall portions foldably disposed along-the ends of the rectangleand each having oppositely disposed foldable flaps, the outer edges ofthe flaps tapering outwardly from near the outer edges of the end-wallortions at one end and each terminating in a tongue at the other end,

posed along the sides of the rectangle, the outer margins of theside-wall portions being provided with slits for receiving therespective tongues to hold the blank, when folded, in the form of acontainer having outwardly flaring end walls, the bottom-wall portionconstituting the fiat bottom wall of the container, the end-wallportions constituting oppositely disposed flat end walls of thecontainer, the side-wall portions and the flaps constituting oppositelydisposed fiat sides of the container, the outer edges of the end-wallportions constituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of thecontainer, the outer edges of the side-wall portions and of the flapsconstituting the outer boundaries of the sides of the container, theouter edges of the side-wall portions tapering correspondingly to thetapering edges of the flaps from the center outward to merge with thetapering edges of the flaps to constitute with the tapering edges of theflaps and with the tongues oppositely disposed recesses in the sides ofthe container tapering from near both end walls toward the bottom wall.

6. A foldable-container thick-paper blank cut and scored to provide acentrally disposed flat substantially rectangular bottom-wall portion,flat end-wall portions foldably disposed along the ends of the rectangleand each having oppositely disposed foldable flaps, the outer ends ofthe end-wall portions being wider than their inner ends along the lineof fold, the outer edges of the flaps tapering outwardly from near theouter edges of the end-wall portions at one end and each terminating ina tongue at the other end,

flat side-wall portions of substantially the same length as saidbottom-wall portion foldably disposed along the s des of the rectangle,the outer margins of the side-wall portions being provided with slitsfor receiving the respective tongues to hold the blank, when :folded, inthe form of a container having outwardly flaring end walls, thebottom-wall portion constituting the fiat wall of the container, theend-wall portions constituting oppositely disposed flat end walls of thecontainer, the side-wall portions and the flaps constituting oppositelydisposed fiat sides of the container, the outer edges of the end-wallportions constituting the outer boundaries of the end walls of thecontainer, the outer edges of the side-wall portions and of the flapsconstituting the outer boundaries of the sides of the container, theouter edges of the side-wall portions tapering correspondingly to thetapering edges of the flaps from the center outward to merge with thetapering edges of the flaps to constitute with the tapering edges of theflaps and with the tongues oppositely disposed recesses in the sides ofthe container tapering from near both end Walls toward the bgttom wall.

7 A container formed fromv a :foldable-container blank, the containerhaving a flat stable bottom wall upon which the container is adapted torest stably, the bottom wall having oppositely disposed ends andoppositely disposed sides, the

container having oppositely disposed'substantial- 1y trapezoidal fiatoutwardly flaring end walls formed by folding the blank along the-endsof the bottom wall at an obtuse angle to the bottom wall and oppositelydisposed central portions of flat 3 de walls of substantially the samelength as the length of the sides formed by folding the blank along thesides of the bottom wall substantially at right angles to the bottomwall,

I flat side-wall portions of substantially the same length as saidbottom-wall portion foldably diswhereby the container has substantiallythe shape, in longitudinal cross-section, of an equiq lateraltrapezoid,with-the bottom wall at the shorter base of the trapezoid, the containerbeing open along the longer base of the trapezoid, the end walls beingwider at the top than at the bottom, each end wall having oppositelydisposed flaps folded to constitute end portions of the side walls, thecentral portions of the side walls being provided with means forcooperating with the flaps to hold the flaps tothe central portions 01the side walls in order that the central portionsof the side walls andthe flaps may constitute the side walls of the container, and the outervedges of the flaps tapering from near the outer edges of the end wallsand the outer edges of the central portions ofthe side walls taperingcorrespondingly from the center outward to merge with the tapering edgesof the flaps to provide the side walls at the top of the container withoppositely disposed recesses tapering from near both end walls towardthe bottom wall ofthe' container. a

8. A container formed from a foldablecon.-- tainer blank, the containerhaving a fiat stable bottom wall upon which the container is adapted torest stably, the bottom wall having oppositely disposed ends andoppositely disposed sides, the container having oppositely disposed flatout- Wardly flaring end walls formed by folding the blank along the endsof the bottom wall and oppositely disposed central portions of flat sidewalls of substantially the same length as the length of the sides formedby folding the blank along the sides of the bottom wall; each end wallhaving oppositely disposed flaps folded to constitute end portions ofthe side walls, each flap having a tongue, the central outer portions ofthe side walls each having to tongue-receiving member for receiving oneof the tongues to hold the flaps to the central portions of the sidewalls in order that the central portions of the side walls and the flapsmay constitute the end walls ofthe container, and the outer edgesof theflaps tapering from near the outer edges of the end walls and the flapscooperating with the flat side walls to form oppositely disposedrecesses tapering from near both end Walls toward the bottom wall of thecontainer.

9. A container formed from a foldable-container blank, the containerhaving a flat stablesubstantially rectangular bottom wall upon which thecontainer is adapted to rest stably, the container having oppositelydisposed fiat outwardly flaring end walls formed ,by folding the blankalong theends of the rectangle and oppositely disposed central portionsof fiat sidewalls of substantially the same length as the length of thesides formed by folding the blank along the sides of the rectangle, theend walls being wider at the top than at the bottom, each end wallhaving, oppositely disposed flaps folded to constitute end portions ofthe side walls, each flap having a tongue, the outer'margins of thecentral portions of the side walls-being provided'with slits forreceiving the respective tongues to hold the flaps to the centralportions of the side walls in order; that the central portions of theside walls and the flaps may constitute the side walls of the container,the outer edges of the flaps tapering from near the outer edges ofthe-end walls and the outer edges of the central portions of the sidewalls tapering correspondingly from the center outward to merge with thetapering edges of the flaps to constitute with the tapering edges of theflaps and with the tongues oppositely disposed recesses in the sides ofthe container tapering from near both ends toward the bottom wall of thecontainer.

10; A container formed from a foldable-container blank, the containerhaving a flat stable bottom wall upon which the container is adapted torest stably, the bottom wall having oppositely disposed ends andoppositely disposed sides, the container having oppositely disposed fiatout-- wardly flaring end walls formed by folding the blank along theends of the bottom wall and op-' positely disposed central portions offlat side walls of substantially the same length as the length of thesides formed by folding the blank along the sides of the bottom wall,each end wall having oppositely disposed flap members folded toconstitute end portions of the side walls, the flap members constitutinga first group of members, the central portions of the side wallsconstituting a second group of members, one of the groups of memberseach having a tongue and the other group of members eaclrhaving atongue-receiving member for receiving one of the tongues to hold theflaps to the central portions of the side walls in order that thecentral portions of the side walls and the flaps may constitute the sidewalls of the container, and the outer edges of the flaps tapering fromnear the outer edges of the end walls and the flaps cooperating with theflat side walls to form oppositely disposed recesses tapering from nearboth end walls toward the bottom wall of the container.

11. A sandwich container formed from a foldable-container blank, thecontainer having a stable flat bottom wall upon which the container isadapted to rest stably, the bottom wall having oppositely disposed endsand oppositely disposed sides, the container having oppositely disposedflat outwardly flaring end walls formed by folding the blank along theends of the bottom wall and oppositely disposed central portions of flatside walls of substantially the same length as the length of the sidesformed by folding the blank along the sides of the bottom wall, each endwall having oppositely disposed flaps folded to constitute end portionsof the side walls, the cen tral portions of the side walls beingprovided with means for cooperating with the flaps to hold the flaps tothe central portions of the side walls in order that the centralportions of the side walls and the flaps may constitute the side wallsof the container, the outer edges of the flapstaperingfrom near theouter edges of the end walls and the flaps cooperating with the flatside walls to form oppositely disposed recesses tapering from near bothends walls toward the bottom wall of the container, a sandwich beingadapted to be confined in the container by the bottom Wall, the endwalls and the unrecessed portions of the side walls, the drippings fromthe sandwich-being adatped to be collected in the bottom of thecontainer between the lower portions of the end walls and the lowerunrecessed portions of the side walls, and the unrecessed portions ofcontainer with the sandwich therein.

RICHARD J. GREENLEAF, II.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,567,675. January 25, 191;.5.

RICHARD JAMES GREENIEAF, II.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows Page 2,first column, line 22, for container read containers--; page 5, secondcolumn, line 14h, claim 6, after "flat" insert --bottom--; page h, firstcolumn, line L5 claim 8, for "end" read --side--; and second column,line 65, for "adatped" read -adapted--; and that the said Letters Patentshould be read with this correction therein that the same may conform tothe record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this Zhth day of April, A. D. 1911.5.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

